1. Field of the Inventions
The present invention relates to a testing method and system for use with a fire alarm system and more particularly to a laser thermal testing method and system which is used in testing a fire alarm system with a plurality of remotely distributed heat-sensors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,434, entitled Automatic Fire Protection System, issued to Jonathon L. Gelaude on Jan. 31, 1984, teaches an automatic fire protection system which protects a building from fire damage and which includes automatic temperature sensors to monitor the temperature of several places on the building. The automatic fire protection system also includes sensor amplifiers for amplifying the signal from the temperature sensors and an anticipating function for turning on the automatic fire protection system in response to a predetermined temperature or a sudden rise in temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,127, entitled Security and Fire Protection System, issued to Dennis R. Hogan and John K. Wright on Feb. 3, 1987, teaches a fire protection system which includes a plurality of heat-sensors. The heat-sensors are mounted at various positions throughout a premises to be protected.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,311, entitled Remote Sensing Systems, issued to John L. Galloway, Timothy R. Hankins and Ian A. Owers on Oct. 29, 1985, teaches a fire protection system which is for installation at one site and which has a plurality of remote heat-sensors. The heat-sensor detect fire and transmit corresponding signals by radio to a master station.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,249, entitled Method and Apparatus for Checking Fire Detectors, issued to G. Clawson on Apr. 9, 1974, teaches a fire detector checking method and device which nondestructively verify the operation of installed fire detectors of the type which operate on the principle of detecting the rate of temperature rise of the ambient air to sound an alarm and/or which sound an alarm when the temperature of the ambient air reaches a preset level. The fire alarm checker device uses the principle of effecting a controlled simulated alarm condition to ascertain whether or not the detector will respond. The checker includes a hand-held instrument employing a controlled heat source, such as an electric lamp has a variable input, for heating at a controlled rate an enclosed mass of air in a first compartment. The air mass is then disposed about the fire detector to be checked. A second compartment of the device houses an electronic circuit to sense and adjust the temperature level and heating rate of the heat source. Actuation of a fire detector of the rate of rise type within a predetermined time interval after applying the heated air mass thereto verifies the soundness of the system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,693, entitled Device for Testing Smoke Detector Alarms, issued to Donald R. Bute on June 9, 1981, teaches a device for testing smoke detector alarms which includes a base housing. An extendable telescopic assembly which includes three tubes, with the top tube having a combustible pellet mounted at its upper end is mounted on the base housing. The pellet is composed of a substance that smolders upon heating rather than flaming or exploding. The base housing contains electrical batteries wired in circuit with a heating element which is mounted adjacent to the combustible pellet so that a switch can be operated to heat the heating element and cause the pellet to smolder so that smoke emerges from the pellet. The testing device can be placed in the extended position and the pellet held near a smoke detector and burned to ascertain whether the smoke detector alarm is functioning properly. After use the testing device can be placed in a compact storage position by sliding the extendable telescopic tubes so that they fit within each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,961, entitled Configuration of Electrodes for Transversely Excited Gas Lasers, issued to Leroy V. Sutter, Jr. on Oct. 21, 1986, teaches a transversely excited gas laser which includes an elongated cylindrical chamber with a laser gas confined therein, a pair of reflectors which reflect light energy from a discharge of the laser gas within the chamber so that the light energy travels longitudinally the length thereof, an rf generator which applies a voltage of alternating polarity between the electrodes at a frequency ranging from 10 Mhz to about 3 Ghz to establish the laser gas discharge, a coupling circuit which matches the steady state reactive impedance of the chamber to the impedance of the rf generator and couples the rf generator to the electrodes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,396,285, entitled Laser System and its Method of Use, issued to John A. Gibson, Charles R. Munnerlyn and Peter S. Presta on Aug. 2, 1983, teaches a laser system for medical applications has at least two lasers and a movable concave reflector. The lasers are capable of generating beams of coherent electromagnetic radiation. One of the beams, an aiming beam, is aligned to impinge the reflector, to reflect therefrom and to impinge a biological specimen. The reflector is moved until the beam is aligned to impinge the desired position. The reflector is held stationary and the second beam is generated. The second beam is also aligned to impinge the reflector to reflect therefrom and to impinge the same desired position as that impinged by the first beam.